Process for delivering liquid H2 from an active magnetic regenerative refrigerator H2 liquefier to a liquid H2 vehicle dispenser

Abstract

A process that includes pre-cooling a H 2 gas feedstock with a compressed liquid natural gas via a heat exchanger, introducing the pre-cooled H 2 gas feedstock into an active magnetic regenerative refrigerator H 2 liquefier module, and delivering liquid H 2 from the active magnetic regenerative refrigerator H 2 liquefier module to a liquid H 2 vehicle dispenser.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A process comprising:
 pre-cooling a H 2  gas feedstock via a heat exchanger wherein a compressed liquid natural gas is used in the heat exchanger for pre-cooling the H 2  gas feedstock; 
 introducing the pre-cooled H 2  gas feedstock into an active magnetic regenerative refrigerator H 2  liquefier that comprises at least one layer of a magnetic refrigerant material; and 
 delivering a first portion of liquid H 2  from the active magnetic regenerative refrigerator H 2  liquefier to a liquid H 2  dispenser for dispensing the liquid H 2  to a liquid H 2  vehicle, and compressing a second portion of liquid H 2  from the active magnetic regenerative refrigerator H 2  liquefier resulting in compressed hydrogen. 
 
     
     
       2. The process of  claim 1 , further comprising compressing liquid natural gas resulting in the compressed liquid natural gas. 
     
     
       3. The process of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 introducing a portion of the liquid natural gas to a liquid natural gas dispenser for dispensing to a liquid natural gas vehicle; 
 introducing a portion of the compressed liquid natural gas to a compressed liquid natural gas dispenser for dispensing to a compressed liquid natural gas vehicle; and 
 introducing the compressed hydrogen into a compressed hydrogen dispenser for dispensing to a compressed hydrogen vehicle. 
 
     
     
       4. The process of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 dispensing compressed hydrogen at 700 bar from the compress hydrogen dispenser; 
 dispensing liquid H 2  at 2.7 bar from the liquid H 2  dispenser; 
 dispensing liquid natural gas at 2.7 bar from the liquid natural gas dispenser; and 
 dispensing compressed liquid natural gas at 240 bar from the compressed liquid natural gas dispenser. 
 
     
     
       5. The process of  claim 3 , further comprising generating the H 2  gas feedstock via a solid oxide fuel cell, and introducing methane from the compressed liquid natural gas into the solid oxide fuel cell. 
     
     
       6. The process of  claim 1 , wherein the pre-cooling of the H 2  gas feedstock comprises cooling 300 psia H 2  gas from 290 K to 140 K. 
     
     
       7. The process of  claim 6 , further comprising introducing the 140 K pre-cooled H 2  gas feedstock into the active magnetic regenerative refrigerator H 2  liquefier, and cooling the H 2  from 140 K to 20 K in the active magnetic regenerative refrigerator H 2  liquefier resulting in the liquid H 2 . 
     
     
       8. The process of  claim 7 , further comprising generating the H 2  gas feedstock via a solid oxide fuel cell, and introducing methane from the compressed liquid natural gas into the solid oxide fuel cell. 
     
     
       9. The process of  claim 1 , further comprising generating the H 2  gas feedstock via a solid oxide fuel cell. 
     
     
       10. The process of  claim 9 , further comprising introducing methane from the compressed liquid natural gas into the solid oxide fuel cell. 
     
     
       11. The process of  claim 1 , wherein the active magnetic regenerative refrigerator H 2  liquefier comprises a rotary wheel that includes an annular bed, the annular bed comprising the at least one layer of the magnetic refrigerant material.